Heidi Klum Will Be Fourth Judge on ‘America’s Got Talent’

NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” is expanding its judges’ panel to four chairs from the customary three, with the addition of supermodel Heidi Klum.

NBC announced the signing early Monday morning after it was reported on Sunday by TMZ and The Hollywood Reporter. Klum, 39 — who was formerly married to singer Seal — reportedly sealed the deal in time to join the show in New Orleans this past weekend, where auditions before the four-judge panel are scheduled to begin on Monday for this coming season.

As always, “AGT” will be a summer series on NBC, where it will begin its eighth season just a short time after the official end of the 2012-13 TV season in May.

It will be the show’s first season with four judges: Klum, newcomer Mel B of The Spice Girls, and returning judges Howie Mandel and Howard Stern. The most recent judge to leave the show was Sharon Osbourne. Previous judges included Piers Morgan, David Hasselhoff and Brandy Norwood. Nick Cannon continues as host.

Klum is no stranger to the world of talent-judging on TV. She’s the producer, creator, host, star and a judge on “Project Runway,” where she’s famous for dismissing contestants with a curt “Auf wiedersehen” when they get the axe on the Lifetime design-competition show.